Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Called to Accountability” and is found in Amos 5:18-24.
The prophet Amos was called to prophesy at a time when Israel was a divided nation between those tribes in the North and those in the South. After the reign of King David’s son Solomon, the kingdom divided. Ten tribes left and established their own government under a new king while the remaining two tribes remained loyal to David’s family.
Amos was from the tribe of Judah that was part of the Southern kingdom, but prophesied in the North. His message was one of accountability and coming judgement. The people in the North had abandoned true worship of the Lord. Those who were still practicing any worship at all were more or less going through the motions of worship.
The text of this lesson declares that God’s judgement would not be kind to those who were looking for it nor be what they were expecting. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. God declares their worship is not genuine and that He is not pleased with it and wants them to remove it from His presence.
The people were guilty of seeking their own pleasure at the expense of justice, mercy and righteousness. These three things are at the center of God’s command to love their neighbor as themselves. Instead, they only loved themselves and not only didn’t care about their neighbors, but would take advantage of and exploit their neighbors if they believed it would help them to get ahead.
We see much of this in our society today as people increasing have the attitude of every person for themselves. Greed, as it was in the time of Amos, is the dominate motivator for many people today. People are so busy and trying so hard to acquire and hold on to things, that they have abandon any true worship of God.
Lying and deception has become an acceptable way of conduct and truth has become whatever it needs to be to justify one’s own behavior and ambitions. Many who are in church today are not seeking and serving God in spirit and truth.
As a consequence of Israel’s behavior, God held them accountable by allowing the Assyrian empire to completely destroy their nation and exile them as prisoners and refugees to other places. The sad part is despite the warnings which they chose to ignore, they didn’t believe something like what happened would or could happen to them.
Similarly, here in the United States, with all of its wealth and military, political and economic power the people here are pursuing a similar agenda as was Israel and don’t believe anything like what happened to Israel is capable of happening here.
But without God, America’s assets are being propped up on a house of cards. And as anyone who knows can tell you, it doesn’t take much to bring a house of cards crashing down. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
Thank you. I’m teaching Sunday school this Sunday and I appreciate you giving an overview. You’re doing a great work.
Michael
Thank you. I’m glad to do it. My intent is to provide an insight to go along with the reader’s own. Do a great job Sunday and thanks again for the comment!